Robert Davis (He/Him)

Robert Davis has served as the Lead Artistic Director of the Columbus Pride Bands since the spring of 2017, having previously served as Assistant Artistic Director. Robert currently serves as the Director of Bands at Watkins Memorial High School in Pataskala, Ohio. At Watkins Memorial, Robert leads all aspects of the high school band program, including two concert bands, jazz ensemble, marching band, pep band, the musical pit orchestra, and assists with the middle school bands. During his time at Watkins Memorial, the band program has participated in a commissioning project with John Mackey, hosted composer Michael Markowski, worked with notable educators including Frank Battisti, and continues to consistently earn high ratings at adjudicated events. 

Before moving to Columbus in 2015, Robert earned a Master of Music Degree in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he studied conducting with Dr. John Climer. While a student at UWM, Robert was the recipient of a Chancellor’s Award and several Graduate Travel Grants, which allowed him to pursue additional study with prominent band conductors around the country. Robert began his teaching career at Anna Local Schools in western Ohio, and he is a proud alumnus of Ohio University. Robert holds professional membership in the National Association for Music Education, Ohio Music Education Association, and National Band Association and is an alumnus of Kappa Kappa Psi. 

Jennifer Olis (She/Her)

Jennifer Olis has served as Assistant Artistic Director of Columbus Pride Bands since the spring of 2019. She currently is the Director of Bands in the Grandview Heights School District in central Ohio. At Grandview, Jennifer teaches the high school concert band, high school marching band, high school jazz band, eighth grade band, and assists with the fifth, sixth, and seventh grade bands. She also leads chamber ensembles, the musical pit orchestra, and the pep band program. Prior to coming to Grandview, Jennifer taught for five years in the Logan Hocking School District in southeastern Ohio and six years at Muskego High School in southeastern Wisconsin. Under her direction, the Muskego High School Wind Ensemble performed at the 2009 and 2014 Wisconsin State Music Association Conferences. In 2012, Jennifer was one of three selected participants in the National Band Association Young Conductor Mentor Project where she studied with renowned conductors and educators Mark Camphouse, Paula Crider, and Gary Hill.

An avid supporter of new works for concert band, Jennifer has participated in several commissioning projects resulting in works by composers Zachary Koors, Taras Nahirniak, Michael Sweeney, and John Mackey. She is the recipient of The Ohio State University Outstanding Graduate Associate Award (2017) and The Ohio State University Fellowship Award (2015). She is a member of NAfME, Sigma Alpha Iota, Tau Beta Sigma, Kappa Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Kappa Phi. She earned her Bachelor of Music Education and Trombone Performance degrees from Ohio University and Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting from The Ohio State University, where she studied with Dr. Russel Mikkelson. Jennifer and her husband, Michael, live in Pickerington with their children Molly and Julian.

Dr. Jon Noworyta (He/Him)

Dr. Jon Noworyta is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands, Instrumental Activities, and Outreach at the University of Indianapolis, where he administers all aspects of the instrumental area, conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Pep Band, and teaches courses in conducting and music education. A versatile conductor equally comfortable with orchestras as well as wind and brass groups, he is the Artistic Director of the Queen City Freedom Band of Cincinnati, Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and Director of the Crossroads Brassband of Franklin, Indiana; ensembles he works with in addition to his duties at UIndy. A Western New York native, Noworyta holds degrees from
Baldwin-Wallace College (BME), Northwestern University (MM), and the College-Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati (DMA). Additional study as a participant in conducting workshops at the Eastman School of Music, the New England Conservatory, and the Juilliard School, has given Noworyta the opportunity to work with the major conducting pedagogues in the field today.

Megan Banks (She/Her)

Megan Banks is a music educator and percussion specialist. Megan received her Bachelors’s in Music Education from the University of Toledo in 2015, with a specialization in Instrumental Music. She studied percussion under Dr. Olman Piedra and has training in both classical and jazz idioms. Megan works for Columbus City Schools as a middle school band teacher; her educational philosophy focuses on giving students a contemporary and relevant music education for the 21st century. Megan’s day-to-day teaching includes a mixture of traditional music education principles, modern experiences such as audio production, and the infusion of current popular styles of music. Megan remains immersed in the music community on a local and national level. She has performed with the Columbus Pride Bands since 2016 as a band member and section leader. She currently performs at venues all over Ohio with her indie-pop band Made of the Mist and is also working on an upcoming funk project called Dankköpolis.
Megan is a member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity and the Ohio Music Education Association. Megan currently resides in Grove City, OH, with her wife and 2 cats, and
spends her free time hiking, songwriting, and playing video games.

Jessica Sneeringer (She/Her)

Jessica Sneeringer is a graduate of The Ohio State University earning Bachelor’s Degrees in both Music Education and Trombone Performance as well as a Masters Degree in Music Education. Jessica is currently in her 24th year of teaching, this being her 19th year as the Director of Bands at Columbus Academy in Gahanna, Ohio as well as the Chair of the Performing Arts Department and the Dixon Art Chair Award Recipient. A member of the Central Ohio Brass Band since 1999, she held the solo trombone chair until 2004, when she stepped onto the podium. Over the 16 years that she conducted COBB the group enjoyed much success, including being 1^st Section Champions a record five times at the North American Brass Band Association Championships and being invited to such prestigious events as the Great American Brass Band Festival, the Butlins Contest in the UK, the Ohio Music Education Association Conference, and the 2019 International Trombone Festival. Having left COBB in 2020, Jessica moved to the NABBA adjudication panel for the 2022 and 2023 Championships. She has also been an adjudicator at the US Open and the Dublin Festival of Brass and will adjudicate at the 2024 Great Canadian Brass Band Festival.

Jessica has been a clinician, judge, and coach for several outstanding student groups as well, including the Ohio State University Marching Band, Capital University Junior Winds, The Ohio All-State Band, and The All-Ohio State Fair Band. Jessica is currently on staff at Jazz Arts Group (Columbus) as the director of the Columbus Youth Jazz Ensemble, as well as the director of the Columbus Community Jazz Band. A freelance trombonist, Jessica has performed with many groups including the Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra (lead, under the direction of Todd Stoll), Columbus Jazz Orchestra, the 1999 Disney Collegiate All-Star Band (lead), Athena Brass Band (bass), Monarch Brass (bass), We Banjo 3, a variety of other jazz ensembles, and was second trombone in the Central Ohio Symphony Orchestra for 10 years. Jessica is a member of the Phi Beta Mu Bandmasters Fraternity as well as the American School Band Directors Association.

As a conductor, Jessica has been a guest with several groups, including Holiday Brass (Baltimore), the Brass Band of Columbus, and the Otterbein University Wind Ensemble. Since 2012, Jessica has been the conductor of the Athena Brass Band, having had the honor of conducting the group on several occasions. She is very appreciative and honored to have had the opportunity to conduct the Athena Brass Band at the 2021 Midwest Clinic. She is looking forward to being a guest conductor of the Pride Bands Alliance Jazz Band June 2024 and the Athena/Japan Ladies Brass at the International Women’s Brass Conference in Mito City, Japan August of 2024.

Jessica makes her home in Gahanna, Ohio with her kids Josh and Jordan.

Jose Ayala

Hello! I’m José Ayala III and it’s my pleasure to join the Columbus Pride Bands team for the Nation Band Aliance Conference as Color Gurad Chair. I come with experience ranging from 6+ years of marching band, marching with Capital Regiment, performing with The Flaggots of Ohio and teaching with multiple marching programs throughout Ohio. I look forward to putting some fun routines that will showcase everyone that come to participate for the event! Super excited to meet everyone!